now
then [c.1970]
I've been watching the response from the radical right to the events in Ferguson, Missouri, particularly since the visit Wednesday by Eric Holder.Those who protest the apparent murder of Michael Brown have spoken out quite positively about how they feel after the visit by AG Eric Holder.
They are more positive, more hopeful, and more encouraged, and that has been reflected in the more peaceful tone in the town (along with the literal dampening effect of a night of rain).
Holder is promising to look into a specific investigation into the possible violation of civil rights of Michael Brown. Further, Holder has promised to look at a broader pattern of civil rights by police as well.
That positive result in the town of Ferguson has sent conservatives off the deep end where they live, on the fringe.
In response, the right dredges up an old smear -- another fact-averse smear, of the propaganda model loved by conservatives. I've made a habit here and elsewhere of pointing out that conservatives consistently believe things which are factually false, which are lies, which are ugly propaganda. Propaganda is manipulative, emotional, and dishonest.
The big lie about Holder is that he is a dangerous, violent extremist, who has somehow nefariously risen to be the first African American AG in our history. They claim that when he was at Columbia University, he was the leader of an armed group of black power radicals who took over a building and held off authorities.
Of course, the REALITY, the FACTS are nothing like that.
According to Columbia, Holder was never armed, or acted inappropriately. Holder and a group of other black students approached the administration about using an empty, unused part of a ROTC building. They went ahead and used the space, while waiting for formal approval from Columbia which came a few days later.
No weapons. No stand-off with authorities. No violence. No radical extremists, no black power group.
It's an old lie. It's been published in the Daily Liar, er, Daily Caller. It's been spread in the Blaze. It's been smeared around like feces in Before It's News.
There are endless examples of other right wingers who have promoted the smear, the lie, the propaganda.
Now the conservatives who live by emails sent by other crazy conservatives, and the lies promoted by Faux News, have revived it.
It was entertaining to watch conservative heads explode (figuratively speaking) when confronted with the FACTS about Holder's career. No, not his career at Columbia; they won't be dissuaded by any factual information about that, including from the University. No, I'm talking about the rise of Holder to his current position -- which is not the first time he's headed up the DoJ.
Think about it for a moment; who is the dead conservative MOST idolized by a majority of Conservatives?
No doubt about it - that would be the late President Ronald Reagan, or more colloquially, (secular) St. Ronnie Ray-gun. Yes, THAT is who gave Eric Holder his entrance into a prominent role in the Judiciary. In 1988, Ronald Reagan appointed Eric Holder to the Superior Court bench for the District of Columbia.
In 1988, he was selected by President Ronald Reagan to be an associate judge of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. In 1993, he became the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1997, President Bill Clinton named him deputy attorney general, the first African-American to hold that position.
Holder briefly served as acting AG for George W. Bush, during the confirmation process for AG Ashcroft as well.
He [Ashcroft] later met with Eric Holder, who had served as acting attorney general since President Bill Clinton left office Jan. 20. Ashcroft thanked Holder, previously the deputy attorney general, on his last day at the Justice Department.
And of course, Holder has a few other rewards and acknowledgements that he is an excellent attorney, very qualified, influential.
But either you believe that NEITHER Ronald Reagan, while president, NOR the Senate, which approves judicial appointments to the Superior Court D.C. bench, NOR George W. Bush while President vetted Eric Holder, and chose to overlook ----- ALL OF THEM ---- such radical armed violence at Columbia, OR...........you have to concede that the Columbia story of guns and extremism is false.
Confronted with the facts, Conservatives fall silent. They cannot relinquish the hate, the smear, the ugly propaganda. But they are caught in a double bind, a kind of check-mate of comment.
Conservatives believe things which are not true. Conservatives embrace and celebrate and disseminate lies. The facts are not their friends. And there is no mystery why so many people view conservatives as racists; this is a perfect example of why.
There is something uniquely tragic about the political orientation that so loves to pat themselves on the back for their superior values, which is nothing more than holier-than-thou hypocrisy, that supports and promotes this kind of deliberate dishonesty. There is something uniquely ugly, hateful and un-patriotic about people who WANT FAILURE of people in our government trying to intervene in a painful and chaotic situation, no matter how much misery, damage, and injury might result from failure.
